I began blocking in the Paph orchid with thin washes of oil paint, thinned with 50/50% galkyd/gamsol. Because I had drawn the outlines with a fairly dark purple pastel, the medium didn’t completely erase the line so I used a Mr. Clean magic eraser dipped in gamsol. That did the trick quickly. Next time I’ll use a much lighter pastel but this time I wanted to make it darker so it would photograph more clearly. I won’t do that again since it took precious time away from actually painting. There’s always something new crossing your path no matter how many years you’ve been doing something. That’s so interesting in my opinion.

I began this daily journal in February, 2026 as I prepared for my solo exhibition at Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie, NY, from June 5 – September 15, 2026, my work for the group show at the Ceres Gallery in from June 23. to July 18, 2026, and my upcoming November 2026, solo exhibition in Chelsea, New York City